The 2025 Missouri legislative session ended last week with some controversy and tension as the Senate invoked Previous Question, or “PQ”, to cut off debate.…
January 11, 2019 Dear Advocate, What does it take to pass improved public policy in Missouri, including reforming old laws that were ill-conceived that have…
Among Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs are the lowest and arguably most important necessities humans require to exist; physiological needs. These include basic essentials such as…
In 1996, Congress passed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), sometimes known as the welfare reform bill. Buried deep within that sweeping…
First coined by sociologist Ruth Glass in the 1960s, gentrification has been part of the lexicon for those working in both economics and the affordable…
Last week Empower Missouri was joined by almost 200 advocates, community members, and supporters for our Day of Action at the State Capitol. It was…
In many ways, housing advocacy should be easy. Everyone needs housing to thrive, therefore it should be as easily attainable as possible. However in reality,…
In November Empower Missouri will host its annual Anti-Poverty Advocates Summit, bringing together advocates from across the state to explore the many ways poverty impacts…
Another welfare myth is making the talk show circuit: Cato Institute says MO welfare mom gets $10.96 per hour in benefits. Malarkey! Find the truth…
Today’s Weekly Perspective is a copy of a speech that I delivered earlier today at our Anti-Poverty Advocates Summit, Empower Missouri’s 123rd annual conference in…
At its core, Empower Missouri is an anti-poverty organization. You often hear about our priority issues areas; affordable housing, criminal legal system reform, and food…
If you read the Empowering You! newsletter that we released on 01/31, you had a chance to meet the dynamic four interns who are working with us…
It was a busy but inspiring week for Empower Missouri: our 2024 Week of Action! Throughout the week we offered three virtual training sessions (recordings…
Missouri’s aging population is expected to rise very quickly over the next decade, mirroring a historic demographic shift occurring across the United States. Currently, one…
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Empower Missouri is an organization with a storied history and deep roots in Missouri. Founded in 1901, we’ve been advocating for the people of this…
It seems hard to believe that we’re only a month away from the start of a new year, and a new legislative session. Pre-filing opens…
Getting a raise or landing a better paying job sounds like great news, especially if your income is low enough that you need additional support…
In my years at Empower Missouri I have often heard from nonprofit staff at all levels that they know that policy change is integral to…
Last week, I offered testimony against a pair of bills in the Missouri House and Senate aimed at reducing homelessness. I first celebrated with the…
The governor has called a special session next week for the legislature to debate the largest income tax cut in Missouri’s history. The governor’s proposal…
On Wednesday, May 11th, Empower Missouri, Criminal Justice Ministry, the Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis, Metropolitan Congregations United, the Missouri Catholic Conference, Missouri…
The pandemic and its impact on our economy hit all of us hard, and illuminated the struggles low-wage workers face in ways that we had…
On Tuesday evening, I went to the prison in Bonne Terre to stand in solidarity with our colleagues at Missourians for Alternatives to the Death…
As we wrap up the year, we’re already deep into planning for the next legislative session that starts in January. Our December Friday Forum covered…
Empower Missouri started in 1901 as an annual conference focused on helping support Missourians who were living in poverty, and over 120 years later, the…
Important minimum wage campaigns conversations are currently happening in both Kansas City and St. Louis. Community leaders have asked Vision for Children at Risk and…
As an organization dedicated to securing basic human needs for all Missourians through policy change, Empower Missouri supports living wages for our state’s workers. On…
As I look back in my life, one specific policy has impacted nearly every decision I’ve ever made: Healthcare. I was a single mom during…
The latest issue to face intense debate in the Missouri Senate is paid sick leave. HB 567, which would remove paid sick leave for workers,…
This past spring, as the school year was winding down, nonprofits across the country began working on plans to implement their summer feeding programs for…
Members of Empower Missouri’s Criminal Justice Coalition have been discussing Missouri’s use of private probation and the impact on our communities. Missouri is one of…
In part one of this series, we provided a brief introduction to the concept of private probation - the practice of outsourcing probation services for…
Over the last six weeks, we have described Missouri’s practice of outsourcing probation and supervision services to private businesses and introduced why it is a…
A new year is a time for reflection and setting intentions for the year ahead. At Empower Missouri, our team is also setting intentions for…
Last Saturday, June 11th, Empower Missouri supporters, coalition members, staff and other guests gathered at the Piper Palm House in St. Louis to honor our…
In 2018, I read Peter Temin’s book The Vanishing Middle Class. He got a lot of press coverage when the book was released, in large…
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the nation’s largest anti-hunger program and helps millions of people who are at risk for food insecurity every…
We knew going into the legislative session that it would be a wild year. Unfortunately, wild years where very little gets done has become the…
Guest Blog by Empower Missouri Member Fred Tilinski Troublesome people keep trying to find meaning in things President Trump says. But when was America great?…
This November, our Anti-Poverty Advocates Summit will feature Andrea Elliott, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Invisible Child, as one of our keynote speakers. Our…
Date: February 7th, 2024To: Chairman Bromley and members of the Utilities CommitteeFrom: Trina Ragain, Lead Policy Strategist, Empower MissouriRe: Opposition to HB 1435, HB 1804…
Date: February 5, 2025 To: Rep. David Casteel, Chair, and members of the Commerce Committee From: Lucas Caldwell-McMillan, Chief of Policy Staff, Empower Missouri Re:…
Date: January 23, 2024 To: Chairman Hovis and Members, House Pensions Committee From: Gwen Smith, Criminal Justice Policy Manager, Empower Missouri RE: HJR 92 As…
Date: March 10, 2025 To: Chairman Bromley and Members, House Utilities Committee From: Lucas Caldwell-McMillan, Chief of Policy Staff, Empower Missouri Re: Our opposition to…
Date: January 31st, 2024To: Representative Rudy Viet, Chairman, and Members of the House Committee on Corrections and Public InstitutionsFrom: Gwen Smith, Criminal Justice Policy Manager,…
Date: January 29th, 2024 To: Sen. Leutkemeyer, Chairman, and Members of the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee From: Gwen Smith, Criminal Justice…
Date: February 19, 2025 To: Chairman Brown and Members, Senate Economic and Workforce Development Committee From: Lucas Caldwell-McMillan, Chief of Policy Staff, Empower Missouri Re:…
This past week Empower Missouri held its Annual Week of Action. In addition to 3 virtual days, this year we were able to be back…
Submitted by Maggie O’Donnell, Director of Policy & Advocacy at the Responsible Business Initiative for Justice (RBIJ) One in three Americans is burdened by some…
Earlier this month, the Food Assistance and Hunger in the Heartland Report was released. This is a first of its kind-a comprehensive research study about…
In 2018, Missourians resoundingly passed a phased increase to the minimum wage to $12/hour over five years. When the bill passed, it was estimated that…
It is undeniable that poverty is a problem in our state. Thirteen percent of Missourians live below the federal poverty line. In real numbers, that’s…
While the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in financial instability and economic hardship for many households, unprecedented supports – including a national emergency rental assistance program and…
Food Insecurity in the U.S. and Here at Home in Missouri More than 34 million people experience food insecurity in the United States. That includes…
This special Weekly Perspective is a collaboration between MO Jobs with Justice Organizing Director Richard Von Glahn and Empower Missouri's Policy Manager Christine Woody. During…
Some of my earliest memories with my sister as we were growing up were visiting my mother at work at what used to be Municipal…
Many years ago, before my time at Empower Missouri, I was a foster parent. While my time licensed was short and I had very few…
With just four weeks to go in Missouri’s legislative session, our Senators and Representatives are hard at work debating legislation that could have long-term consequences…
A bipartisan group of Missouri lawmakers have proposed evidence-based policy that will help close to half of Missouri’s growing families. They seek to extend postpartum…
Empower Missouri started over 100 years ago as an annual conference, making the job of planning and executing our annual Anti-Poverty Summit even more significant.…
Just a few weeks into the new school year, many families are learning that after two years of all Missouri public school children receiving free…
At Empower Missouri, we know that we can change lives through effective and targeted policy change. Too many of our neighbors struggle to get their…
Investing in Teachers = Investing in Education = Better Outcomes for us All. Decades of research tell us that increasing our investment in education leads…
Dear Advocate, On January 16, I heard Gov. Mike Parson’s first State of the State address, and I had a conversation with a fast food…
This week, committees in the U.S. House of Representatives released major reconciliation proposals with cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and other programs. As the title suggests,…
On March 28, the Missouri House approved its version of the $29.23 billion state operating budget for the 2020 fiscal year. The budget process now…
For years, we have been fighting a narrative that giving money and support to people trying to make ends meet without requiring them to work…
The 2023 legislative session will end today at 6PM, so there’s only a few hours remaining for the legislature to pass any final bills before…
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